We don’t have statistics to back us up, but feel it’s safe to say people in general are reluctant to voluntarily pay more taxes.

If we did have stats, we’re sure we could show that most of the approximately 45 people who assembled in the commissioners room at the county courthouse Jan. 23 were a statistical anomaly. As we reported Jan. 30, all or nearly all of them raised their hands when County Councilman Ron Crawford ask-end at a meeting Jan. 23 how many would support a tax increase to fund ambulance service based at the county garage.

Buddy Posner, a small dog with a big heart, passed away Jan. 9, 2014. During his brief life of 10 years, he went to my therapy office in Rockport almost every day. Although he had no formal training as a therapy dog, he intuitively knew when clients needed some extra comfort or just a furry body to pet during times of stress.

Fifty years ago, on Jan. 8, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson used his State of the Union address to call on our nation to launch an “unconditional war on poverty,” a national commitment resulting in programs like Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, Pell grants, expansions to Social Security and nutrition assistance.

Some policy makers will claim that we launched this war, and poverty won, as our nation today struggles with 46.5 million people under the federal poverty line, about $23,500 for a family of four.

I ask your support of legislation being considered in the Indiana General Assembly that would require each school corporation to include music courses in its curriculum. Each corporation would also be required to include music ensembles in course offerings for seventh through 12th grades.

In addition to its value for its own sake, music instruction helps children improve their recall and retention of verbal information, advances math achievement, boosts language-arts skills and increases average SAT scores.